COMBINED SYNOPSIS / SOLICITATION
COMPETITIVE

Title: Fear conditioning equipment for mice

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

The solicitation number is NIH-NIDA-CSS-19-5319352 and the solicitation is issued as an request for quote (RFQ).

This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures; FAR Subpart 13.5-Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items; and FAR Part 12-Acquisition of Commercial Items, and is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.

The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2019-01, dated 20 Dec 2018.

The associated NAICS code 334516, "Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing" and the small business size standard 1000 employees. This requirement is full and open with no set-aside restrictions.

Contract Type: A firm-fixed price type contract is contemplated for this requirement.

Background Information and Objective:
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) will soon establish the Laboratory of Circuits, Synapses, and Molecular Signaling (LCSMS), which will be led by the new Scientific Director. The LCSMS will study fundamental issues of synaptic transmission, neuronal excitability, neuromodulation, and neural circuit activity using animal models (principally, the mouse). These issues will be related to human neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative disorders, and will be explored in brain areas including (but not limited to) the amygdala, basal forebrain cholinergic areas, the ventral hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex.

One major line of research will employ behavioral tests of fear conditioning in mice. For this research, the LCSMS requires equipment that allows for testing of four (4) mice simultaneously on cue-based fear conditioning. The equipment must allow for testing under low-light conditions (room lights off, illumination at near infrared wavelengths) and incorporation of fiber optic cables for optogenetic stimulation or calcium imaging.

Statement of Need and Purpose:
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is establishing a new laboratory that will use cutting-edge physiological, imaging, and behavioral methods to investigate the relationship between human neurological disorders and brain function at the molecular, synaptic, cellular, and circuit levels. The new laboratory requires equipment to test mice on the cue-based fear conditioning task. The equipment must allow testing of 4 mice simultaneously under low-light conditions and for the incorporation of optogenetic stimulation.

Salient Characteristics
The NINDS LCSMS requires fear conditioning equipment that allows for testing four (4) mice simultaneously on cue-based (sound or light) fear conditioning. The equipment must have these characteristics:

• Four testing enclosures that can be stacked 2 x 2.
o Each enclosure should be smaller than 36" L x 42" W x 36" H.
o Stacking add-ons (e.g., blocks or brackets) enabling the four enclosures to be stacked 2 x 2.
o Sound attenuation by lining the inside of each enclosure with foam or other absorbing material.

• Programmable tone generator, speaker, and sound calibration package.

• LED light stimulus for use as a cue.

• Programmable and calibrated shock through insertable grid floors, to provide the unconditioned stimulus (US).

• A variety of grid floors and walls (different patterns, stripes, polka dots, curved walls) shall be available to explore and/or control for contextual aspects of fear learning. The grid floors and walls must be interchangeable.

• A digital camera, computer peripherals, and software to run fear conditioning experiments and acquire real-time video recordings (30 frames per second) under low-light conditions. Video must be synched with experimental parameters (i.e, time of cue delivery). Equipment must include and be compatible with near-infrared illumination.

• Software and computer peripherals to analyze fear conditioning-related behavior (time spent motionless, number of freezing episodes, percent of time motionless). There should be a means of exporting data (both raw video and analysis) to other commonly-used software environments, including both Matlab and Python.

• All software must be compatible with the Windows 10 (64-bit) operating system. If a specialized computer is required, it must be provided.

• There must be a means of synchronizing video data with data from other scientific equipment (e.g., electrophysiological or imaging equipment). For example, data might be synchronized by the sending or receipt of TTL signals.

• The fear conditioning system will be used together with optogenetic stimulation, fiber photometry, microendoscopic imaging, or extracellular electrophysiology. The system must accommodate these by including: (1) an opening in the fear conditioning enclosure for the requisite cables, (2) space for a commutator to be used with these cables, and (3) a means of synchronizing the output of these other systems and the fear conditioning system (e.g., a TTL signal from one to the other).

Quantity: 1 system

Delivery Date:
The contractor shall deliver the equipment within 45 days after receipt of order. Delivery must be FOB destination and include inside delivery.

Warranty/Service:
Contractor shall warrant that the Equipment will be free from defects for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of acceptance. All service performed on this equipment shall be provided by certified and factory trained technicians.

Delivery Requirements:
The Contractor shall deliver the required equipment in coordination with the COR. Delivery must be FOB Destination.

Other Applicable Provisions and Instructions

The provision at FAR clause 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

The provision at FAR clause 52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

(a) The Government will award a fixed price contract resulting from this solicitation to the lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) offer. To be technically acceptable, the offer must satisfy the requirements outlined in the Salient Characteristics including quantity, delivery and warranty requirements.

(b) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the
successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

The Offerors to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with its offer.

The FAR clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

FAR clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. See attached for clauses applicable to this acquisition.

There are no additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions applicable to this acquisition.

The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) are not applicable to this requirement.

Responses to this solicitation must include sufficient information to establish the interested parties' bona-fide capabilities of providing the product or service. The price quote shall include: unit price, list price, shipping and handling costs, delivery days after contract award, delivery terms, prompt payment discount terms, F.O.B. Point (Destination or Origin), product or catalog number(s); product description; and any other information or factors that may be considered in the award decision. Such factors may include: past performance; special features required for effective program performance; trade-in considerations; probable life of the item selected as compared with that of a comparable item; warranty considerations; maintenance availability; and environmental and energy efficiency considerations.

In addition the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov."

UPDATED:  All responses must be received by 11 A.M. EST on May 8, 2019 and reference number NIH-NIDA-CSS-19-5319352. Responses may be submitted electronically to [email protected] .

Fax responses will not be accepted.